I tried wall climbing for the first time today. It’s a great workout. Going up and down the walls also provided me with some great lessons that can be applied to leadership.

• It’s good to have a plan. It’s hard to “wing” it when you are travelling up a wall. If you don’t know your next several moves, you are likely to find yourself stuck with no where to go but down.
• Sometimes the short-term win knocks you out of position for long term success. The key in wall climbing seems to be to find the right sequence of hand and foot holds. I found that sometimes reaching for the next nearest hold, while an easier next step, actually took me out of position to continue my ascent. Short term wins require energy and momentum. Make sure that they are propelling you forward.
• Stretching creates more momentum than settling. Reaching for the highest handhold allowed me to propel off the foothold. I almost felt as if I were bouncing up the wall. However, when I used the closer hand or foot holds I moved in a very choppy, discrete fashion. I’d often have to stop after each one.
• Always look toward the future. At one point I was so focused on the hand holds that were immediately ahead of me that I didn’t notice the shelf (rock) sticking out above me (until I hit it with my head).
• There is no better motivator than a summit. Despite some tough climbs, I was amazed at how much energy I was able to muster as I approached the top. Knowing I was close to the goal often gave me the strength I needed when my muscles began to give out.